Reach 9,200+ adults and children through the miracle of restored sight with Seva Foundation and Focusing Philanthropy

As always, Focusing Philanthropy covers all overhead costs. 100% of every donation will go to the 2019 World Sight Day campaign.

THE NEED

Of the 36 million blind people worldwide, 90% of them live in the poorest areas of developing countries. Yet 80% of the world’s blind people could see again if they had access to adequate eye care services. To advocate for the prevention of global blindness and the Vision 2020 goals, the World Health Organization and the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness created World Sight Day (WSD), an annual day of awareness that brings international attention to the issues of blindness and visual impairment.

2019 CAMPAIGN

Through our Eighth Annual World Sight Day campaign, Seva Foundation and Focusing Philanthropy will enable 9,200 people (including 700 children) who are blind because of cataract and trachoma trichiasis to see again, by funding eye operations at an average cost of $50 per surgery in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. These surgeries are provided free of charge and serve patients who cannot afford to pay. Not only can a person with renewed sight resume a productive life, but his or her caregiver can return to work or school. Thus, each surgery changes the lives of at least two people.

This year, we are expanding our efforts to address a growing pediatric blindness epidemic in areas of the world where increasing numbers of premature babies survive. The special initiative will serve nearly 2,000 individuals at scale with the goal of rolling out the program more broadly in refined form.

Additionally, the campaign will support vital sight-saving equipment needs in Nepal, Cambodia, and American Indian communities. This equipment will enable more services to be delivered to patients in need, such as cataract surgeries, comprehensive eye examinations, refraction, and detection of other conditions like glaucoma or diabetic retinopathy.

1:1 MATCH

In support of the Eighth Annual World Sight Day campaign, every $1 raised by Focusing Philanthropy will be matched with $1 raised by the Seva Foundation for a combined fundraising goal of $741,000. To qualify for the match, donations must be a minimum of $1,000 and directed to Focusing Philanthropy, a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Donations are fully tax deductible.

All Focusing Philanthropy costs are covered by its founders and 100% of funds contributed will go to the 2019 campaign. A final impact report will be released in summer 2020.

In conjunction with World Sight Day, Focusing Philanthropy and Seva Foundation have implemented annual fundraising campaigns since 2012. Over the course of this partnership, $2,877,306 in matching grants has been raised, resulting in more than 46,000 surgeries performed! A successful campaign this year will bring the total amount of people with restored sight through our joint initiatives to over 55,000.